Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin "You're the Top"

[Mildred Plotka]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin "You're the Top"#1

Posted: 8/24/11 at 12:46pm

Love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ienABdVDKs

"Broadway...I'll lick you yet!"

[quizking101]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #2

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:18pm

I don't like Patti LuPone's rendition of this song...However, Howard McGillin is PERFECT!!

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[Reginald Tresilian]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #2

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:23pm

Fair enough.

But to me, Patti's effortlessly joyous vocals on this song have never been equaled.

Something for everyone!

[givesmevoice]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #3

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:29pm

I feel like saying Howard McGillin is perfect is more a fact than an opinion.

But I have to second Reggie on how fantastic and joyous Patti sounds, on the whole score, really.

When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

[Mildred Plotka]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #4

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:55pm

I love how she doesn't move at all during the first verse, facing McGillin and belting the **** out of it. And then they slowly build the movement to a fantastic climax.

"Broadway...I'll lick you yet!"

[best12bars]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #5

Posted: 8/24/11 at 9:10pm

Delightful.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

---

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

[ReggieonBway]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #6

Posted: 8/24/11 at 9:16pm

I don't know why, but I've never cared for Patti's vocals or her acting. I loved her in Gypsy, but beyond that... I don't know. Something about her rubs me the wrong way.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #7

Posted: 8/24/11 at 9:22pm

I remember just being swept away by her. The last time I'd seen her, she'd been in a bed dying of cancer.

I was so suprised by her sexy, happy performance, with those soaring vocals.

The whole thing was pretty damn perfect.

[Miranda3]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #8

Posted: 8/24/11 at 9:25pm

Diveeene! Watching this is like drinking a Red Bull fast. What an energy infusion! I saw the two of them in the revival at Lincoln Center in '87. Howard McG had just done Drood and his star was rising. There was talk at the time that Patti was too old to play Reno, but she blew that out of the water with her performance.

[broadwaybabytn]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #9

Posted: 8/24/11 at 9:49pm

"There was talk at the time that Patti was too old to play Reno."

What was she, 38?? Sutton is 36 now.

[CATSNYrevival]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #10

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:21pm

Seriously? Sutton doesn't look 36 to me.

[danny10086]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #11

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:29pm

I love the new recording but is Sutton trying to do a Patti impression because some of her vowel sounds are very pecuiliar, not like her singing on anything else I've heard her do? For those who've seen it ... is this a character thing?

[madbrian]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #12

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:37pm

Oh, how I wish LuPone were doing concerts with McGillin instead of Patinkin. Now, THAT I'd go see.

"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

[Miranda3]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #13

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:39pm

What is McGillin doing now?

[givesmevoice]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #14

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:45pm

I love the new recording but is Sutton trying to do a Patti impression because some of her vowel sounds are very pecuiliar, not like her singing on anything else I've heard her do? For those who've seen it ... is this a character thing?

When I saw the show, there were a few notes Sutton hit that sounded distinctly Merman-like. But, based on what I've heard, I thought she sounded like she was really putting on an accent (and it wasn't gelling for me).

When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #15

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:46pm

^ He has some upcoming concerts at the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel.

"It's Phantom meets Hamlet... Phamlet!"

[quizking101]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #16

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:52pm

McGillin is also part of the new show IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ with Tyne Daly, Edward Hibbert, Harriet Harris, and David Hyde Pierce directing...It opens in October.

Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!! www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm

[Miranda3]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #17

Posted: 8/24/11 at 11:34pm

Thanks Quiz & Cape. I am no longer in NY so won't be able to see him. Sad. So sad.

[broadwayguy2]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #18

Posted: 8/24/11 at 11:45pm

In that duo, Patti is CLEARLY the top.

[PalJoey]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #19

Posted: 8/25/11 at 12:15am

I have to admit Patti's version is my all-time favorite.

Even better than Ethel and Bing Crosby:

http://youtu.be/LCfqIXiLxSE


Or Ethel and Frank Sinatra:

http://youtu.be/Vc7152gQK-U


But Ella and Nat King Cole are pretty swellegant:

http://youtu.be/e_HY17f6_xM


And, of course, Barbra:

http://youtu.be/b2_GCClUPyk

(Don't miss, at the 2:03 mark, Ryan O'Neal in white boxer shorts, a bowtie and fuzzy slippers. That's all there is to say.)


And it's only appropriate that we should let Mr. Porter himself have the last word:

http://youtu.be/i6oGytt0Hiw

[chewy5000]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #20

Posted: 8/25/11 at 3:19am

They're actually just his socks.

[jewishboy]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #21

Posted: 8/25/11 at 3:41am

I've been watching this over and over again. I loved Sutton's performance and think she is an amazing triple threat musical comedy star, but I have to agree with givesmevoice. It kind of reminded me of Donna Murphy's weird accent for Ruth Sherwood in Wonderful Town (going for Rosalind Russell as Sutton is going for Merman). I think it really got in the way of Sutton having a distinct Reno vocally. Many times she was belting out a song and the voice just didn't sound completely hers. Especially when you compare it to her belting in Thoroughly Modern Millie. I understand that Reno is a different character then Millie, but I don't think the characterized singing did her any favors.

Patti, on the other hand, completely embodied everything that Reno is, yet of course still managed to sound like Patti. That unique phrasing, the earthiness and undeniable sensuality makes her Reno so vocally different from Merman's, but still as exciting and powerful. I mean, Patti's last two solo verses alone just totally make me hear this song for the first time. Her full throttled, almost desperate "You're broccoli" and then the way she sensually slides into "You're Romance..." WOW! I mean comparing that to the traditional way this song is sung is just mind blowing.

Sorry to go on about this, but I have been thinking about Sutton's performance since I saw it in July. I loved watching her on stage, but something about her singing (save for "I Get a Kick Out of You") sounded a little awkward. It's disappointing because I think Sutton has her own unique set of pipes that would have made her Reno just as vocally exciting.

[adamgreer]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #22

Posted: 8/25/11 at 6:06am

So much better than the nonsense being performed at the Sondheim every night!

[givesmevoice]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #23

Posted: 8/25/11 at 7:08am

Sorry to go on about this, but I have been thinking about Sutton's performance since I saw it in July. I loved watching her on stage, but something about her singing (save for "I Get a Kick Out of You") sounded a little awkward. It's disappointing because I think Sutton has her own unique set of pipes that would have made her Reno just as vocally exciting.

I was a little disappointed with her vocals, too, which was surprising to me. Going in, I was sure she'd knock it out vocally, but wasn't sure how she'd come across otherwise. Obviously she can sing the score, but I was just disappointed with how she sang it.


This reminds me of a lengthy article I read in the NY Times archives about Patti in the role. She touches on how she sees the role, and there are a few quotes and anecdotes about how her personality meshes with the way she's playing Reno.

She's The Top

When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

Updated On: 8/25/11 at 07:08 AM

[PalJoey]

Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin #24

Posted: 8/25/11 at 8:01am

Oh, givesme--thank you so much for that article! I remember reading it with great excitement!